07-31-2015

Tesla offers own incentives: Every Model S driver who refers a new buyer gets 1,000 dollars off his/her next purchase. The offer is valid until October 31st. Those who recommend five (buying) friends are invited to the Gigafactory opening and the first person to find ten people willing to purchase a Model S, gets a Model X for free.bloomberg.com, insideevs.com

China electrifies further: Jianghuai Automobile Company (JAC) will invest 4.5 billion yuan (725m dollars) in the development of electric and hybrid vehicles. By 2025, they could already make up 30 percent of all sales by JAC.gasgoo.com

The end of exemption? EVs could become much more expensive in Denmark, as their tax exempt status will expire at the end of this year. That could cause price increases of up to 180 percent. However, the Danish government already said that it is looking at solutions for 2016.autoblog.com, teslarati.com

— Text Ad —Hubject publishes the Open InterCharge Protocol 2.0: the latest version of the eRoaming protocol OICP is now available to download for free for all intercharge partners and other interested parties. The protocol describes the fully automated communication between charge point operators, providers and eRoaming platforms. More information under www.hubject.com

Hybrid Talisman: Renault will present Laguna successor Talisman at the IAA in Frankfurt, which will become available by the end of 2015. According to Renault CEO Stefan Müller, the sedan will also be available as a hybrid variant.wiwo.de (in German)

Canada tightens regulation: Canada’s Tier 3 regulations will introduce more stringent air pollutant emission standards for new cars, light-duty trucks and certain heavy-duty vehicles from 2017. At the same time, they will also lower limits on the allowable sulfur content of gasoline.greencarcongress.com, gc.ca

In South Korea, 15,953 locally produced hybrid vehicles were sold in the first half of 2015, setting the country on course for a record breaking year. The current record was set in 2012, when 31,236 hybrid vehicles were sold.english.yonhapnews.co.kr

Wireless boost: Researchers from North Carolina State University and Carnegie Mellon University are working on making wireless charging more effective. Their Magnetic Resonance Field Enhancer (MRFE) uses a simple copper loop to augment transmission, making it at least 100% more efficient than transmission via air alone.ncsu.edu

Electrified yachts: Nimbus Boats Sweden and German Torqeedo agreed to develop yachts with electric and hybrid drivetrains. They are already working on a hybrid demonstration vessel that will cruise on Lake Starnberg, where the use of combustion engines is strictly limited.plus.ibinews.com, mby.com

Battery development extended: With Toyota and Bosch, the California CalCharge platform has gained prominent new charter members. Both companies will now join in the development of energy storage technologies. Other new general members include Blue Current, Ensor, EnZinc and ITN Energy.greencarcongress.com

New drivetrain factory: Efficient Drivetrains held a soft opening of its new 30,000-square-foot facility in Milpitas, California. The facility will be used to manufacture electric and hybrid motors for on and off-road light, medium and heavy duty vehicles.mercurynews.com

“Our National Highway Traffic Safety Administration will soon issue a final rule on sound requirements for electric and hybrid vehicles so people who are visually impaired can hear them coming.”

U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx announces a new regulation for EVs and hybrids, which will now be required to be audible. The rule has long been delayed and carmakers will at least have until 2018 to comply with the minimum sound level.detroitnews.com

“The European market for vehicles with alternative drivetrain technology is unfortunately developing rather slowly, admittedly worse than we expected.”

Renault CEO Stefan Müller admits that the market in Europe might not be where Renault would like it to be. However, he also mentioned that sales of the Zoe and Kangoo ZE grew 70 percent in just one year.wiwo.de (in German)

London electric bus update: The British capital reportedly plans to electrify two bus lines this autumn. BYD will be responsible for building the chassis and drivetrain system (including the battery) of all 51 electric buses, while Alexander Dennis Limited will assemble them.electriccarsreport.com, transportengineer.org.uk

eMERGE complete: A real world EV trial draws to a close after private and business customers drove 146 smart fortwo EDs more than 1 million km in Berlin, Potsdam and North Rhine-Westphalia. The lowest annual average energy consumption was 10.4 kWh/100 km, the longest range 161 km. Mercedes will now launch the eMERGE2 fleet project with 200 Mercedes-Benz B-Class Electric Drive and plug-in hybrid models.media.daimler.com

Update on Portugal: The government in Lisbon reportedly strives to bring down carbon emissions of its fleet. It wants to buy 1,200 EVs and also encourages its more than half a million employees to take to pedalling. We suggest pedelecs to kill two birds with one stone.nzherald.co.nz

The ChargeForward programme by BMW i is about to start in San Francisco. 100 selected BMW i3 drivers will test the practicalities of intelligent charging firsthand over the next 18 months (we reported). BMW i gets support from utility provider Pacific Gas and Electric.citylab.com

Kiwis to charge publicly: New Zealand’s city of Auckland opened its first two public charging stations. Located in the Downtown Carpark, the two EV charging sites are free for garage users. The stations were installed by Mighty River Power and Auckland Transport.nzherald.co.nz

Video tip: Remember the story of the tortoise and the hare? Daimler invokes the moral in its latest spot for the plug-in hybrid Mercedes C 350 e, but chose two super fast “actors,” letting Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton compete against each other. The race involves a F1 race car, too.youtube.com

Research tip: The report ‘Marine Hybrid Propulsion Market’ by Transparency Market Research sees the global market for hybrid drives for marine vessels grow an average of 8 percent annually. By 2022, it could thus reach a volume of 4.46 billion dollars.transparencymarketresearch.com via greencarcongress.com

The Swincar by Mecanroc is an all-electric, all-wheel drive quad that takes hurdles like a spider. Its four wheels sit on arms that can move freely, while the driver safely swings in the nacelle. Only in curves, wheels and seat tilt in unison for added fun. Enjoy your weekend – off- or on the road!autoevolution.com

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